THE DOORS Strange Days RARE Orig UK 67 MONO + Inner.

	£		156
	$		206

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4. Europe £10. Rest of World £14. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE DOORS

Album Title: Strange Days

Producer(s): Paul A. Rothchild.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Strange Days; You’re Lost Little Girl; Love Me Two Times; Unhappy Girl; Horse Latitudes; Moonlight Drive.

Side 2: People Are Strange; My Eyes Have Seen You; I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind; When the Music’s Over.

Cat Number: EKL 4014

Label/Format: Elektra – orange labels with black text, this pair have the smooth finish.

Label Conditions: Both labels are fresh, very clean and attractive with only light, fine and mostly faint spindle marks. This hugely impressive mono record looks very lightly played.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 142 grams. One of the heaviest pressed examples of this title I have yet had.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce and elusive in both mono and stereo, especially so in such lightly played and fantastic conditions. This I feel the best all-round mono example I have yet seen and the icing on the cake is the rare lyric inner sleeve in fantastic condition – quite possibly the first I have seen totally unsplit. This crucial element so often missing altogether from UK copies.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: EKL 4014 A1 / EKL 4014 B1

Muscians: Jim Morrison - vocals; Ray Manzarek - keyboards, marimba; Robby Kreiger - guitar; John Densmore - drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The Doors’ second album redefined their uncompromising art. The disturbing sounds of Ray Manzarek’s organ work provided the musical cloak through which guitarist Robbie Kreiger and vocalist Jim Morrison projected. Few singers in rock possessed his authority and emotional intensity. Strange Days contains some of the quartet’s finest work, from the apocolyptical vision of ‘When the Music’s Over’ - with it’s famous chilling line The Scream of the Butterfly - to the memorable quirkiness of ‘People are Strange’ and ‘Moonlight Drive’. The graphic ‘Horse Latitudes’, meanwhile, confirmed Morrison’s wish to be viewed as a poet, a stance ensuring The Doors were always more than just another rock band. This masterpiece, their second in the greatest year in music – 1967 – the ‘Summer of Love’, is an astonishing work and boasts a very famous and surreal cover with it’s bizarre circus type characters. Also included here is the original lyric sheet/illustrated inner which again is rare in the UK. To find one of these this clean and unsplit is near impossible these strange days. How this wonderous album did not even make the charts in the UK is a complete mystery: a nation engrossed in ‘Peppermania’ and competition was intense with so many classics issued that great year. How many copies of this initial UK mono pressing were manufactured I don’t know, but they surface all too rarely. Initially selling poorly and copies that were bought often being subjected to heavy playing on basic 60s record players with thick stylus and heavy arms that probably rendered many copies unplayable. A time with long steel spindles that often allowed records to be stacked and dropped atop each other – it hardly bears thinking about – but it happened. No wonder so many are rendered unlistenable. This one is in superb all-round condition and plays distortion-free with any surface sound, infrequent, light and slight. Both playing surfaces have very fine surface marks seen under light, but retain that lovely shine and freshness and no damaging accidents from the uncomplicated equipment from yesteryear. The famous old cover with it’s laminate blows away the US version and this has minimal blemishing. This will not be easy to find much better and I enjoyed hearing this again in mono after what had been far too long. This mix being somewhat different from the stereo with greater bass dynamics and clout. The Doors albums are not available on CD in the mono mode so the original vinyl records are the only way they can be enjoyed – like the band themselves – they are unique.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELENT(++): and up there with the very best I have seen ever. A single format, laminated front and back. Manufactured in Great Britain by Polydor Records. This has EKL 4014 (mono) in small type at the top of the back and front, but a glaring error on the spine with the EKS stereo 74014 number. One of the most famous covers in rock history and a highly attractive one with minimal traces of ageing. The rare and elusive lyric inner IS included as well.

Cover Lamination – Front & Back: Both sides are in superb condition and will instantly bring a big smile to any winning bidder. The only blemish of note is a surface crease on the top edge of the back and even this has modest visibility. The sheer freshness of the laminate has to be seen – being a dark cover, any dulling or friction rubs will show freely, but glad to state, this has barely even a hint. Both sides have incredible shine, freshness and clarity and truly do almost remind of new. The front is crease-free with no lifting of the laminate and only a fine sliver on the spine edge of the back. Those strange looking circus characters will rarely be seen this fine or better than this – a fantastic cover that sets the bar very high indeed.

Top Edge: Unworn, dead straight and smooth to the fingertip.

Bottom Edge: Practically the same again.

Right Edge: Hugely impressive: clean, very sharp with no wear, burring or thickening and guaranteed untrimmed. The unprotected strip on this entrance edge each side clean, unchipped or grubbied.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine too: Solid, straight with only mild compression. Just the very ends are chipped. All the text is pristine perfect under the solid and still shiny laminate. I reitterate again, the major error of this mono cover having the stereo Cat. No and ‘Stereo’ printed here – all I have seen have been the same. All other references on the sleeve are the correct mono.

Corners: Small spine-end chips, the opposite pair have little to fault and all retain excellent to near mint shape.

Cover Summary: A hugely impressive mono original cover, an example that will not be beaten easily. This elusive and rare item should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): not seen this many times and never as lovely as this. Most copies of this album will not include this rare lyric and graphic inner. Very clean and fresh with minimal ageing. The record enters from the right hand side when viewing the band picture. What stark images they are too, this is a legendary inner and rarely included in a UK version. The other side has the song lyrics in full. Do not underestimate the rarity of this inner and finding one much better will also prove incredibly difficult. A little creasing on a couple of the corners and the biggest plus of all – NO edge splits or repairs – a near impossible ask and find, this is one for the connoisseur Doors collector.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(–): and this hardly does this record justice. More under light, there are a fair number of very fine surface hairline marks that have no sound. There are no penetrating scratches at all, hence no pops or clicks were noted. Just ask yourself, how many 1967 mono records will have no minor marks anyway? With the vast majority heavily played and badly dulled and scratched, this puts this still lovely record into true perspective. For those who did shell-out and buy this vintage mono record back in the day, most played to near destruction and finding one with still clean and fresh looking is never easy. Still a very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy I am sure has been modestly played and offering very pleasing sound overall. Visually not for the perfectionist but most realistic fans will enjoy it.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: A record that plays above it’s still pleasing visual. The sound is rich and detailed and has that typical dynamic mono sound which is quite different from the stereo version. The album is beautifully produced by Paul A. Rothchild and this is just the way he wanted it to sound - no tampering, remixing, remastering etc. This is the real thing and nothing will better it. A clean pressing with minimal surface sounds – a little brieflly on the very difficult and intense ‘Horse Latitudes’ – a challenging vocal track that seldom escapes totally. Deep grooved and more loudly mixed than the debut. The hugely important factor is the lack of distortion – that really unwanted sound caused by groove wear that caused the high frequencies especially to break up and clip – this has avoided that. All this album remains sharp and mainly clean and clear with no inherent echo or loud crackling. Both channels are noise free and equal – often on mono records one channel will play noisy while the other is quiet, the result of a badly aligned or even chipped mono stylus that caused uneven wear. Mono albums were never really designed to play on modern stereo turntables but when they play this well they give a sound in a class of their own. Very different from the stereo versions, but both are essential of course. This was a nervous but delightful to play grade, Strange Days is one of my favourite Doors albums and I adore this band as does my wife since I introduced her to them back in 1983. Any surface noise is gentle and infrequent and this too via one of the world’s most clinical and revealing turntables. Owning a UK mono cut of this masterwork is a privilege and most will enjoy this one. The aforementioned fine surface marks are ignored and sound quality high. Few I feel will be disappointed with the audio quality of this 45-year-old mono record, it gives few clues to the great age and this has survived well overall. Just enough here and there to remind you of what you are actually listening too. It merits high recommendation and unless perfection is mandatory, most will enjoy this.

Final Summary: A classic album in all respects and in very fine all-round condition, the inclusion of a UK laminated cover along with the very rare illustrated lyric inner, the icing on the cake and both will prove immensely difficult to find better. Strange Days has elements of psych and surrealism, the cover will tell you that, every track is sublime and this album remains essential in every sense of the word. Even later reissues of Doors albums on the later label formats are drying up now, you can imagine how unlikely the originals are likely to show. Such is the scarcity of this great record it’s clearly a wonderful opportunity not to be missed. The ‘Lizard King’ rarely sounded more inspired than this – a truly timeless piece of work.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.